Reduction of C. jejuni may require complex approach

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni has emerged as the third leading cause of enteric infections in the developed world, but the measures that have been undertaken to decrease its prevalence in farm-raised poultry, which remain the predominant source of campylobacter infections worldwide, have been inconsistent. Based on the review of numerous publications on C. jejuni there is a clear traceable link between the prevalence of C. jejuni and poultry meat. This link is more apparent for industrialized nations. Because campylobacter, as pathogen, have been considered as less important compared to, for example, salmonella, whose immediate sequelae are far more severe than that of C. jejuni, food poisoning due to campylobacter have received far less attention. However, it has become clear that the long-term consequences of campylobacteriosis may result in considerable complications to an individual's health due to the growing antibiotic resistance.

To date, elimination of campylobacter colonization of farm-raised chickens using preventive biosecurity measures or vaccinations have been unsuccessful because of the presence of campylobacter both in the environment and many animal species. Vaccination efforts have been unsuccessful due to inability to achieve clearance of bacteria during the lifespan of broilers and because of the wide diversity of serotypes of C. jejuni strains. Alternative methods of reduction of C. jejuni, such as administering probiotics and prebiotics in the chicken feed and phage therapy, have also been partially effective, which means that significant reduction of campylobacter in farm raised chickens may require application of all approaches mentioned above combined with improved biosecurity measures.